Golf coach Haas gets a feel for tournament play

FRENCH LICK, Ind. -- Jerry Haas has spent a lot of time on the golf course in recent months. It just hasn’t been with his own clubs.

The 51-year-old Haas is the golf coach at Wake Forest University and last weekend was directing the Demon Deacons in the NCAA Division I men'a regionals. Haas was disappointed the record-setting season ended with a 10th-place finish in the Chapel Hill, N.C., Regional, but now he has something to smile about.

Despite just nine practice holes before coming to the Pete Dye Course on Monday, Haas made his debut in the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid with a 1-over-par 73 in the opening round.

“I hit some crooked shots early and got away with them,” Haas said. “I had visions that I would shoot 68 today and I had visions that I would shoot 98.

“It was not a bad day at all.”

Haas, at Wake Forest for the past 17 seasons, qualified by finishing fifth in the 2014 Senior PGA Professional National Championship. He has produced 17 All-ACC performers during his time at Wake Forest but has played in just four PGA Tour events since 1995. This week is his Champions Tour debut.

“That’s my life now,” said Haas, whose brother Jay is a two-time winner of the Senior PGA. “I don’t get to play much but I think I’m a better player now at age 51 than I was because I have been able to watch so many good players.”

And there certainly isn’t time to practice. He hit some balls last Sunday after the NCAA Regional finished and played nine holes on Monday with his 10-year-old son Kyle before heading to the Hoosier State.

“I played 18 on Tuesday and nine (on Wednesday),” he said. “I know my body. I just don’t have the time anymore. It’s just the way it is.”

Haas sure didn’t look like a guy who five days prior was walking around the UNC Finley Course, trying to coach his team to the NCAA national championships. Wake Forest had three tournament wins this season, but it wasn't meant to be in Chapel Hill.

“One bad day, that’s golf,” he said. “I told my guys when I don’t play well, I am disappointed. But when my team doesn’t play well, now it’s almost five times as great. I feel for those guys. That’s my job.”

Haas nearly had a hole-in-one on the par-3 fourth hole, making a putt less than 10 feet for birdie and then also made birdie at the par-5 No. 5 hole. He gave one back with a bogey at the par-3 seventh hole before hitting a 15-foot birdie putt at No. 10. He made bogeys at Nos. 11, 13 and 17.

“It was a lot of fun,” Haas said. “I was excited. This was something to do in May and it worked out to be between the regionals and NCAA. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it but still this was a lot of fun for me.”

It was even better because Haas played in a grouping with Chip Beck and Billy Andrade, who was his college roommate at Wake Forest from 1981-85.

“That made it very easy,” Haas said.

Added Andrade: “We’ve played a lot of golf together. I think for (Haas), it made it easier. It’s a different vibe when you are out here and you are playing with a friend, playing with somebody he’s played so much golf with. We had a good time.”